PH marks 400 years since the arrival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel image

on: May 04, 2018

A replica of the original image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel de San Sebastian at the top of the main retablo of Basilica Minore de San Sebastian. CBCPNews

CBCPNews

May 3, 2018

Manila, Philippines

Marian devotees are expected to gather at Manila’s Quirino Grandstand on Friday, May 4, for the “Salubong and Traslacion”, a re-living of the arrival of the image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel from Mexico to the Philippines 400 years ago.

The gathering will start with a fluvial procession at 5am and will be followed with a Mass to presided over by Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

The traslacion, which includes a procession of the image, will start at 8am to San Sebastian Basilica, passing by Quiapo Church, where the revered Black Nazarene image will be brought out for the traditional “Dungaw”.

The image will then be made available for public veneration upon its arrival at the country’s iconic and only all-steel church at around 8am.

Valles said the event is an opportunity for the faithful to pray together for the welfare of the country at a time when it is facing several challenges.

“We urgently need to seek Our Mother’s intercession to protect the Philippines against natural calamities, the ongoing attacks on the sanctity of life and of the family, and other serious difficulties that our nation faces,” Valles said.

Along with missionaries from the Order of Augustinian Recollects, the image arrived in Manila in 1618, which also began the Brown Scapular devotion in the Philippines that lives on today.

Initially housed at the San Juan de Bautista de Bagumbayan Church at the Luneta, the image was enthroned at the first San Sebastian Church in Quiapo when it opened its doors in 1621.

Canonically crowned in 1991 by the late Cardinal Jaime Sin under the authority of Saint John Paul II, Our Lady of Mount Carmel remains the Queen of San Sebastian Basilica — and of Quiapo.

Devotees, particularly in Quiapo, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a key figure in the annual Black Nazareno feast, where she appears during the Dungaw, awaiting the passing in procession of the image of the black Jesus.

Capping the whole day event will be a 6pm Mass and the re-enthronement of the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the basilica.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle earlier said that with the normal conditions, those taking part in the occasion will be able to receive a plenary indulgence or the remission of temporal punishment due to sins as approved by the Vatican.

In order to obtain a plenary indulgence, Catholics must make a sacramental confession, receive Holy Communion, have complete detachment from sin, and pray for the Pope’s intentions.